Former overseas students, currently staying in Canada with an expiring Post-Graduate Work Permit will be able to secure a fresh open-work permit under a policy that has taken effect recently.
A new policy, granting former international students the opportunity to secure a new one-time open work permit, if their existing one is about to expire, is in effect Jan 27 onward.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are now accepting applications submitted by former international students who aspire to obtain an open work permit if their Post-Graduate Work Permit or PGWP has already expired or is about to expire soon.
These newly introduced open work permits are going to be valid for 18 months. It will make it easier for former international students to stay back in Canada and continue looking for employment opportunities.
Unlike an employer-specific work permit by which a foreign worker is bound to a single employer, open work permits in Canada enable a foreign national to work for an employer of their choice.
To apply for an open work permit under the new policy, international students must meet the following requirements:
- Have a PGWP that has already expired on or after January 30, this year or a PGWP that will expire in four months or less from the application date;
- Remain in Canada;
- Have a temporary status or are actively applying to restore the status;
- Be a valid passport holder
The period to file an online application is now open and available up to July 27 this year.
IRCC offers PGWP to attract international talents and also to retain them as skilled employees.
International students who eventually graduate from Designated Learning Institutions, also known as DLIs can qualify to file an application for a PGWP for a duration of at the most three years.
Securing a PGWP permits international graduates a golden opportunity to secure employment all over Canada from employers of their choice. The cumulative years of work experience in Canada can later be used during their immigration appeals.
Skilled worker immigration schemes tend to value work experience and educational qualifications gained in Canada. The Quebec Experience Program, the Express Entry, and the
Provincial Nominee Program or PNP along with similar pathways allot value to any form of work experience in Canada. Express Entry or EE candidates, for example, are allocated extra Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS points on the basis of their Canadian work and educational experience.
For those students holding little or zero work experience, having Canadian work experience and being integrated into a local labor market can serve as the deciding factor to determine if they will be eligible for permanent residence per Canada’s immigration programs.
Former international students who aspire to have a permanent residence in the country count on the PGWP for achieving the goal.
PGWPs have a fixed duration and cannot be renewed or extended, which indicates that those who have the permits also have a limited amount of time to take full advantage of the benefits they can offer. The ongoing pandemic has put recently graduated students at a disadvantageous position unlike the previous cohorts because of a weaker labor market.
A large number of international graduates have not been able to secure a job, have had their hours cut short, or have been laid off. The Canadian government hopes that the new student policy might help to offset the barriers and challenges that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has laid down for the population.
The new policy is the newest among the series of measures that were introduced by the IRCC recently for addressing an increasing number of concerns regarding the decline in the number of international students who’ve been able to stay, study and work in the country from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In several past instances, the IRCC has emphasized that it prioritizes retaining overseas students who’ve visited Canada. They form an important part of the workforce that is capable of meeting labor needs in the domains of technology and healthcare and in making sure that the country’s future social and economic success.
Get in touch with us on WhatsApp or Call us at 905-671-4442. You may even email us at info@immigrationterminal.ca if you have any queries about your temporary or permanent residence application.